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Epic Games Store - the console war comes to PC

cosmicray

Savant
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
436
Did Sweeney just admit that Steam Store was nearly perfect for consumer and Epic weren't interested in making it the same for Epic Store's consumers?
 

toro

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
14,023
And it’s helping developers that’s the driving thought behind the launch of the store. A goal that tallies well with the company’s engine business, and a rare example of developer-centric thinking, as opposed to the pure consumer-centric thinking of most publishers and platform holders in today’s games industry.

While the consumers get the finger. Nice store.
 

MuscleSpark

Augur
Patron
Joined
Apr 12, 2011
Messages
369
“It’s nearly perfect for consumers already… There is no hope of displacing a dominant storefront solely by adding marginally more store features or a marginally better install experience. These battles will be won on the basis of game supply, consumer prices, and developer revenue sharing,” Sweeney reckons.
He's not wrong, if Epic want a piece of the digital pie then they have to do this.
Looking at it from Epic's point of view, this is the correct way to proceed. In the long term Fortnite will eventually decline, and having a storefront with a continuous revenue stream is a good idea, especially since they can tie it into their engine business (which I'm guessing isn't doing as well as in the UE3 days).
The "a rare example of developer-centric thinking, as opposed to the pure consumer-centric thinking of most publishers and platform holders in today’s games industry" comment is a little weird, I know it doesn't specifically mention Valve but saying that Steam is "pure consumer-centric" is a big stretch, unless you somehow spin it into crypto-helping consumers by helping developers.
 

Mustawd

Guest
if Epic want a piece of the digital pie then they have to do this

Except they don’t. It’s a viable strategy, sure. But the glut of indie games means discoverability and sorting of games is a huge problem that doesn’t currently have a fix.

Instead of focusing on developers Epic could have chosen to fill a void that neither Steam or GoG are filling right now. They could have also chosen to improve on things GoG and Steam already do.

Discoverability of games aside, the Steam website is a fucking mess and not easily navigatable. Presenting a storefront with easy navigation would have gotten my attention immediately.

And if they wanted to use that horde of cash to really stick it to Valve they could have engaged in some kind of discount for a game in the Epic store that’s already in your Steam library. Yes, that’s not an easy thing to do, but it can be done.

I mean there’s a variety of strategies Epic could have engaged in, but instead they chose the “muh exclusives” route.
 

abija

Prophet
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
2,891
There is no hope of displacing a dominant storefront solely by adding marginally more store features or a marginally better install experience.
Typical PR tactics. If phrasing like this gets copy pasted a lot by the "journos", they hope discussion moves from "epic store is years behind in features" to "epic store refuses to add more features than steam".
 

MuscleSpark

Augur
Patron
Joined
Apr 12, 2011
Messages
369
if Epic want a piece of the digital pie then they have to do this

Except they don’t. It’s a viable strategy, sure. But the glut of indie games means discoverability and sorting of games is a huge problem that doesn’t currently have a fix.
They really do.

Instead of focusing on developers Epic could have chosen to fill a void that neither Steam or GoG are filling right now. They could have also chosen to improve on things GoG and Steam already do.
Like what? Examples would be nice.
Also improving on others' features is a long and expensive process, especially if you want to get it right. Epic are short on developers as it is, the UT crew all went to Fortnite and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the people working on the client are a combination of new hires and UE4 engine folks. It's a lot easier to moneyhat devs, especially in the short term. Long term things can be done in the long term once the store has more titles, more users and is more robust.

Discoverability of games aside, the Steam website is a fucking mess and not easily navigatable. Presenting a storefront with easy navigation would have gotten my attention immediately.
Easier said than done, not to mention finding a game on Epic and then just searching/buying it on Steam would be the smartest thing to do for someone who's already using Steam and wants to keep their library consolidated.

And if they wanted to use that horde of cash to really stick it to Valve they could have engaged in some kind of discount for a game in the Epic store that’s already in your Steam library. Yes, that’s not an easy thing to do, but it can be done.
They're already giving games away for free. Also they don't want "to really stick it to Valve", they just want to force people to use their store. And who'd want to pay again for a game they already own anyways? (GOG has to literally do it for free.) Only someone who really wants to use the Epic store in the first place, and those people are so few it's not even worth targeting them right now.

I mean there’s a variety of strategies Epic could have engaged in, but instead they chose the “muh exclusives” route.
Yeah, because a majority of people won't change stores unless they're literally forced to kicking and screaming. That's why EA games are exclusive to Origin and why Uplay is a forced install on every Ubisoft game, not to mention GOG has exclusive rights on a large number of old games (SWAT 4 and Diablo being big ones).
I've lived through the deaths of Stardock's Impulse and of Desura, I know what it's like to permanently lose tons of games. It's not a great feeling and that's why I can appreciate wanting to have all my games consolidated to a single incredibly huge provider that will outlive me and hopefully my grandchildren who borrow my account. It's also why Epic has to force me (and others) to either use their store, or not play those games at all.
 

Taka-Haradin puolipeikko

Filthy Kalinite
Patron
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Messages
19,109
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Bubbles In Memoria
Phoenix Point takes 1 year Epic exclusive route.
https://phoenixpoint.info/epic
Phoenix Point is Coming to the Epic Games Store Plus One Year of Free DLC for All Current Backers

Hi! I’m Julian Gollop, the creative director of Phoenix Point and the CEO of Snapshot Games.

I have some major news to share: we have signed a deal with Epic Games to bring Phoenix Point exclusively to the Epic Games Store for its first year of release on PC and Mac.

This deal is a real game changer for our studio, because, thanks to Epic’s support, it is certain that we will be able to update and expand Phoenix Point for years to come.

We want to share our success with all the backers who have helped us get here, so we have a special benefit to announce: if you backed or pre-ordered Phoenix Point at any time since our crowdfunding campaign until today, you will receive a year of free DLC.

That’s right - every piece of paid DLC we release for Phoenix Point during our first year will be automatically added to your Epic Store account when you redeem your key.

We recognize that some of you may have backed or pre-ordered Phoenix Point with an expectation of the platform you’d be able to play it on, and that this update changes that.

If for any reason you are not happy with this change, we will be happy to offer you a full refund and apologize for any inconvenience caused.

If you have any questions, check out the FAQ below for answers.

We will be hosting an AMA on the Phoenix Point subreddit tomorrow - please stop by and we’ll do our best to answer any more questions you have for us.

That’s tomorrow, Wednesday March 13th on the Phoenix Point subreddit at 12pm Pacific time, 7pm UK time. We’ll update this post with the link when the AMA goes live.

I’d like to thank you for all your support, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of what we’ve been working on with you very soon.

Epic Games Store FAQ
 

Solid Snail

Learned
Joined
Oct 31, 2018
Messages
328
Phoenix Point takes 1 year Epic exclusive route.
https://phoenixpoint.info/epic
Phoenix Point is Coming to the Epic Games Store Plus One Year of Free DLC for All Current Backers

Hi! I’m Julian Gollop, the creative director of Phoenix Point and the CEO of Snapshot Games.

I have some major news to share: we have signed a deal with Epic Games to bring Phoenix Point exclusively to the Epic Games Store for its first year of release on PC and Mac.

This deal is a real game changer for our studio, because, thanks to Epic’s support, it is certain that we will be able to update and expand Phoenix Point for years to come.

We want to share our success with all the backers who have helped us get here, so we have a special benefit to announce: if you backed or pre-ordered Phoenix Point at any time since our crowdfunding campaign until today, you will receive a year of free DLC.

That’s right - every piece of paid DLC we release for Phoenix Point during our first year will be automatically added to your Epic Store account when you redeem your key.

We recognize that some of you may have backed or pre-ordered Phoenix Point with an expectation of the platform you’d be able to play it on, and that this update changes that.

If for any reason you are not happy with this change, we will be happy to offer you a full refund and apologize for any inconvenience caused.

If you have any questions, check out the FAQ below for answers.

We will be hosting an AMA on the Phoenix Point subreddit tomorrow - please stop by and we’ll do our best to answer any more questions you have for us.

That’s tomorrow, Wednesday March 13th on the Phoenix Point subreddit at 12pm Pacific time, 7pm UK time. We’ll update this post with the link when the AMA goes live.

I’d like to thank you for all your support, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of what we’ve been working on with you very soon.

Epic Games Store FAQ
TLDR Thank you sucker for backing this, get an Epic key or GTFO
 

Tse Tse Fly

Savant
Joined
Dec 26, 2017
Messages
622
Wasn't the game meant to be released on Linux too (I wasn't following it actively)? And considering EGS has not native Linux support yet,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

And will those backers who chose the key for GOG get a DRM-free version of it in EGS?
 
Last edited:

Mark Richard

Arcane
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
Messages
1,192
Phoenix Point's FIG crowdfunding page:

- Will the game be on Steam?
Yes, Phoenix Point will be on Steam and we will provide Steam keys to backers who want to receive their game this way.

- Will the game be on GOG?
Yes, Phoenix Point will be avaliable through GOG, and we will provide keys for backers who want to receive their game this way.

No doubt the game will eventually come to Steam and GOG, but they didn't say when. Gotcha!

So is this better or worse than the Metro Exodus switchover? That game had tons of advertising materials with the Steam logo plastered everywhere, offered preorders on Steam, and was only a couple of weeks from release before they decided to commit to an Epic Store exclusive. Phoenix Point on the other hand, is a crowdfunded project that wouldn't have even got off the ground were it not for the generous contributions of its backers.

Yup, it's probably worse. Some of those backers must feel so... used. Even if they take up the offer of a refund, they still got roped into an interest-free loan.
 

Taka-Haradin puolipeikko

Filthy Kalinite
Patron
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Messages
19,109
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Bubbles In Memoria
Wasn't the game meant to be released on Linux too (I wasn't following it actively)? And considering EGS has not native Linux support yet,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

And will those backers who chose the key for GOG get a DRM-free version of it in EGS?
They cancelled Linux version some time ago.

Backlash seems to be big enough that they're doing damage control.
From FAQ:
I really wanted the game on Steam or GOG.com. What can I do?

Whichever delivery option you had originally opted for, we’re still positive that you will have a fantastic experience with Phoenix Point on the Epic Games Launcher.

All backers up to this point will also STILL receive a Steam or GOG key after the 1 year exclusivity period
 
Last edited by a moderator:

JarlFrank

I like Thief THIS much
Patron
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Messages
33,048
Location
KA.DINGIR.RA.KI
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Yeah, FUCK Epic Store. Now it even took away a game from GoG, not just Steam.

So it's gone from the user-friendliest platform out there, as well as Steam which is also pretty user-friendly, only to be snagged by an exclusivity deal from one of the least user-friendly stores.

Good job Epic you fucking wankers.

I hope their store fails massively and all these exclusivity deal bribes are wasted money.
 

cosmicray

Savant
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
436
It's also why Epic has to force me (and others) to either use their store, or not play those games at all.
It's not Epic per se, but publishers/developers. Still, what a crappy practice. At least those suckers Epic users will beta test the game for everyone else.
 

Mustawd

Guest
Yeah, because a majority of people won't change stores unless they're literally forced to kicking and screaming.

You’re forgetting that pirating is a great alternative. What Epic is forcing me to do is pirate exclusive games if I want to play them now.

I’ve said this many times already, but it bears repeating:

There is no advantage to me as a Steam or GoG user to use Uplay, Epic Store, Origin or any other store out there. I have a confortable library. GoG gives me some games Steam doesn’t have and drm free. I have a ton of games on steam and the client is (mostly) easy to use.

If a game on PC is not on either platform then I will pirate it. Because it’s preferable than encouraging yet another storefront/games launcher.

For the ones who will be dragged kicking and screaming, exclusives won’t force them unless purscy becomes a bigger PITA than managijg multiple storefronts. And for me, that’s not yet the case.
 

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